Adivasi student body slams MP Tasa’s 'Christians don’t qualify for ST status' remark

Dibrugarh, July 30: The All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA) staged a strong protest at the bypass near Bokel in Dibrugarh against Kaziranga MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, condemning his recent remarks on Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for Adivasis in Assam.

The student body termed the comments ‘divisive and unconstitutional’, demanding an immediate apology and retraction.

During the protest, the AASAA members of Lahowal and Mohanbari regional committees burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and MP Tasa, accusing them of betraying the Adivasi community. The outrage stems from Tasa’s recent statement on a television talk show, where he reportedly claimed that Adivasis who follow the Christian faith are not eligible for ST status.

AASAA district president Gautam Sangha sharply criticized the MP’s statement, questioning its legal and constitutional basis. “The Constitution of India does not disqualify anyone from ST status based on their faith, he said.”

Sangha also pointed out that a significant portion of tribal communities across India, including in Assam belong to Christianity or other religions.

“If the Constitution recognizes tribals practising Christianity or other faiths as Scheduled Tribes in other states, why should it be any different in Assam?” he said.

The student organization further accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of reneging on its pre-election promises.

“In 2014 and 2016, the BJP pledged to grant ST status to Adivasis and raise the daily wages of tea garden workers to Rs 351. More than a decade later, those promises remain unfulfilled,” another AASAA leader said.

The student body emphasized that religious identity should not be used as a tool to deny constitutional rights. “Historically, many Adivasis converted to Hinduism, often without knowledge of their ancestral beliefs. That does not make them more or less eligible for ST status,” the organization asserted.